November 04, 2023

NIGERIA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AIM AT MAKING NIGERIA GREAT AND HER CITIZENS GOOD


Nigeria educational system is balanced, deep and encompassing. It is aim at making Nigeria great and her citizens good. It is continuously being updated and reversed as required, and I dare say, it is good and achieving its preset goal. Many Nigeria graduates, which are products of Nigeria educational systems have gone ahead to other countries to break academic feat just to reconfirm the notion that Nigeria education is good and working. Education is to develop the soul and thinking capacity of man. The recipient of education needs to apply himself in order to derive the maximum benefits from education.

If we use a building for an analogy, the foundation is important. Therefore Primary, secondary and first-degree education is foundational and important. If Nigeria first-degree graduates are doing well in Nigeria and in other countries they relocate to, we can conclude that our education is good and that means our economy is in the hands of good professional with good educational foundation.  











I want to work through five points and show what can undermine the expected output of Nigeria good educational system, which are outside of the educational system.

1. 100% Electric Power Supply - In Nigeria, our power supply is not yet 100% though we are working towards it. The implication cut across the economy and affects what the graduates of our educational system that remain in Nigeria will create and the ones that relocates to another country with 100% electric power supply will create. In Nigeria, our engineers will not build electric powered cars and trains because we don’t have 100% electric power supply. If an electric powered train going through the Kano to Kaduna underground tunnel loses power suddenly, what happens. If an electric car that is running low on battery stops at Adekunle charging hub and there is no power supply, what happens. The two scenario shows why a Nigeria engineers will build an electric powered cars and trains but rather hybrid or fuel powered cars and trains.

2. Government Policy - Some Countries have policy that enforces the prioritization of their local educational certificates and experience for labour workforce employment. We need to pursue such policy. Imagine the inflow in educational, visa, health and rent fees if we apply this policy. This type of restriction also creates a system that attracts only the best from other country to come into Nigeria labour workforce, who will contribute economically to our country.

3. Cost implications - There is a general tendency to assume something of higher price command higher value. Joke and Janet are friends and both just bagged Bachelors in Economics from the prestigious University of Lagos. Both made second class grade. Joke is going to Oxford University for a Masters in Economics with a tuition fee of £25,000.00 (#1,000.00 * £25,000.00 = #25,000,000.00) while Janet is going to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria for a Masters in Economics with a tuition fee of #400,000.00. The difference in the price amount might make us conclude one education is better but this is not because both universities will teach each curriculum, which is dependent on each country educational system.

4. The mathematical edge - The rigour and technicality needed to do well in mathematics make mathematical oriented professions and engineers achieve more success in life than other professionals. There is no ruse in mathematics. The need to build systems upon system, precepts upon precept, logic upon logic in order to creates a logical and systematic approach to life that is aim at achieving dependable solution really help in equipping mathematical professionals and engineers.

5. Industry backed education - All industry backed education only provide education relevant to the respective industry. Bank industry powered education is aim at producing bank employees.  Manufacturing industry backed education is aim at producing manufacturing industry employees, etc., therefore we cannot use industry backed education as the standard for Nigeria educational systems.

The generic statement that Nigeria university graduates are not employable is not a balanced truth because even the proponents of such policy still employ from the Nigeria graduates pool. Industry wants ready-made graduates; that is graduate with prior industry experience. Experience is not possible without an industry opportunity. What the proponents of Nigeria graduates are not employable is simply saying is, we want a graduate who doing his study have worked in the industry either during SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) or session break or NYSC (National Youth Service Corps). A graduate that is not able to get an industry prior experience before completing NYSC is termed an unemployable but this is just a cost reduction policy. The industry wants to pay you as intern to learn industry basics and pay you as graduate trainee to hit the ground running.

When you contextualise the five above points and Nigeria educational system, you will conclude that the educational system is doing fine and it is still making Nigeria great, while ensuring her citizens are good.

Image from the internet.